Buildings including a foundation, beam members that extend in the lateral-direction, and bearing walls that are fixed to the foundation or beam members, are conventionally known.
For instance, Patent Document 1 discloses a bearing wall such as the below-described one. The bearing wall disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes: a pair of vertical structural members and a pair of lateral structural members, disposed to make up a frame shape; four connecting fittings that connect end sections of the vertical structural members and end sections of the lateral structural members; and two braces spanning across the pairs of connecting fittings disposed along the diagonals of the frame shape.
The vertical structural members and lateral structural members are respectively channel steels having a web and a pair of flanges. The connecting fittings are gate-type members having a pair of mutually opposing side pieces, and an intermediate section that connects the bases of the side pieces. A fixing plate for fixing the brace is fixed to the side pieces of each connecting fitting, in a state where the fixing plate straddles the side pieces.
The flanges of each vertical structural member are fixed to respective side pieces in a state where the vertical structural member is disposed between the side pieces of the connecting fitting. Similarly, the flanges of each lateral structural member are fixed to respective side pieces in a state where the lateral structural member is disposed between the side pieces of the connecting fitting.
In the bearing wall disclosed in Patent Document 1, however, the side pieces of the connecting fittings are fixed to the flanges of the vertical structural members and the lateral structural members. Accordingly, the vertical structural members and the lateral structural members may deform on account of the tensile force generated in the braces. Specifically, a lateral-direction component in the tensile force generated in the braces is transmitted directly, in the form of a shear force, to the flanges of the vertical structural members. Meanwhile, a vertical-direction component in the tensile force generated in the braces is transmitted directly, in the form of a shear force, to the flanges of the lateral structural members. In the bearing wall disclosed in Patent Document 1, therefore, the flanges of the vertical structural members and the lateral structural members may deform on account of the tensile force generated in the braces.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. S60-133012